


Lost and Found

by Salmaka



Category: The Technomancer (Video Game)
Genre: Gen, Mention of the Slavery, Mutan Valley, Mutants Culture, Siblings, Sisters, Vory
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-20
Updated: 2020-01-20
Packaged: 2021-02-27 13:20:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,793
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22337707
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Salmaka/pseuds/Salmaka
Summary: A short glimpse into the life of two sisters divided by cruel world
Kudos: 2
Collections: Hello Earth? This Is Mars...





	1. Chapter 1

Ey remembers everything, always has…

Ey remembers eir mother’s smile as crystal clear as ey remembers the interior of the train which was transporting em to the mines, away from everything.

Ey remembers eir own name, the name given to em by eir parents, but ey was stripped of that name as soon as ey had been taken away from them.

Ey got a new name; dirty and humiliating one…

Ey knows that mutants have names like that, always had wondered how they came to them. Now ey learned first-hand. To eir surprise, these degrading names are not given by mutants’ capturers but by fellow mutants. The oldest of the mutants choose that name for you.

And so, from that moment ey was only known as Dross and eir life became hell. From that moment ey was treated as if ey was nothing, less than nothing even…

So, ey became nothing, no one. Dust.

Ey stopped calling emself by eir parent’s name even in eir own head and tried to not think about eir past. Every memory, bad or good, was haunting em. The only way to stay sane was by focusing on the present; by focusing only on the things ey was currently doing.

No looking forward. No looking back…

Because once ey started looking back, went down the memory lane, it was impossible to stop. Ey often got totally lost in eir mind. The world and time around em as though stopped existing.

Until something pulled em back. That something was quite often beating.

Many mutants were looking at em through their fingers. Ey was taken away in the early stage of the mutation, eir body just started to look not ‘normal’. Ey still looked more human than the mutants around em.

Ey didn’t fit into either of the groups. Ey was alone and ey was lost.

Until one day ey met Phobos and his group, the group which helped em and others willing to leave that hellish place to escape. Help them all find a new place to call home. And helped em find a new life, eir new self.

Later ey joined Phobos’s group and helped free more of eir brothers and sisters. Ey finally felt alive, felt ey belonged somewhere again.

Eir fresh memories started to be happy and hopeful again. Step-by-step ey allowed emself to remember eir childhood, city and eir family…

Ever since ey got to the Valley and found emself again, became in peace with who ey is again, ey wanted to contact eir sister. Or at least to let her know ey is alive and well.

And now it seems that a perfect time has come.

The Valley is prospering as never. They are gaining more contacts, influence… They has managed to free as many mutants in the past two months as they did in two previous years combined. Mutants are a bit freer to roam between places, but it is still dangerous…

And then one day Phobos comes back to the Valley. A group of humans with him, humans who helped to defeat Cain and start a new era for the mutant nation with Scum as their main orator. The future has never looked this good.

“Hello,” ey says, stopping the young man when he walks past em. He’s alone, none of his companions is accompanying him today.

“Oh, hello. Can I help you?” he asks. He offered his help to everyone who needs it, who asked, that’s why ey chose him. Man’s eyes land on eir scars and something close to concern crosses his face.

“I hope you can. I would like to send a message to someone… to my sister.”

The young man, technomancer, is looking at em as if they are equals. That’s something ey didn’t experience with humans since ey was taken away. “I can do that. Where can I find her?”

“That’s the point… I don’t know. I have not seen her… it’s been a long time.” Eir voice is shaking.

“Well, not knowing whom I am looking for never stopped me before,” he jokes and chuckles. “Can you tell me anything about her?” He pulls out a small notepad and a pen from one of his pockets.

“Yes. Her name is Jodie Seeker. We— she is from the Upper Ophir, but I don’t know if she still lives there. Don’t even know if she…”

“That should be enough to start with the search. If I may,” he pauses, “What’s your name?”

“I’m Dross, but she might remember me as Ellie.”

“Oh, I heard about you from Phobos! Said you help him free many mutants. It’s nice to finally meet you. You are taking your Freedom name soon, no?”

Ey looks at him, surprised. A human being interested in a mutant’s matters? That one you don’t see every day. “Yes.”

“Can I ask what your new name will be?”

Again, ey looks at the technomancer surprised. He really cares and is interested. “Luna.”

“That’s a beautiful name. I’ll do my best to find your sister. I’m leaving for Ophir tomorrow.”

Ey thanks him and gives him the message for Jodie.

As soon as the door closes behind Zachariah, the silence embraces him. The rush of the Upper City changes to the calm atmosphere of the Archives. The temperature here is a few degrees lower than on the outside, probably to cool down the servers. Though, situated in the middle of the Exchange, this building is almost always empty apart from the few Scribes working here. At least two of them have already remembered him by now.

The one currently sitting at one of the desks, surrounded by papers and datapads, is one of them.

“Hello there. What do you need this time, Mancer?” she asks, looking briefly from her work at him through her glasses.

“Hi. I’m looking for information about Jodie Seeker.”

“Hmm, let me see,” Scribe puts down one tablet to pick another instead. “Yes, as I thought. It should be in the section G3S, first floor, far right. You’ve been there already.”

“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” she smiles at him and goes back to her work.

In search of information, Zach has visited the Archives a number of times in those past few months. Some sections are available to every citizen but most of the records are accessible only with a permit — like when one is an officer. It was a surprise to find out that his officer’s codes still work. Maybe a little favor from his former captain…

Finding Seeker’s records is easy, and Zach has them before him in no time. To his surprise, parts of the data are only accessible with even higher permit than his, mainly sections about her job assignment. However, the most interesting part for Zach now is something else whatsoever.

Cause of the death: UNKNOWN

Date: 07.08.113

[ _Publicly unavailable information_ :

Last seen: Slums; 07.08.118]

Her records claim she’s been dead for more than fifteen years. That doesn’t sound good, however, that doesn’t have to mean anything. Zach has met more than one “legally dead” person before and even helped some become such. And that last note is all Zachariah needs to know. Time to visit a “family member”.

The building is rather hard to find. The narrow street leading to the tiny square in front of it is well-hidden, one must know where to look to really see it. If not for one of Anton’s men showing him the way, he would have never found it.

“Stay fucking still!” That is what Zach hears from the other side of the door as he gets closer. It’s a woman’s voice.

Those words are followed by a pained groan. “But it hurts,” another voice says.

“Don’t be such _poseroutka_. You already got anaesthetics. Let this be a lesson for you then. Maybe you will avoid fighting someone who has a weapon.” There is a pause followed by another, louder moan. And then the woman victoriously adds, “Like this!”

As this is happening, Zach enters the Vory’s clinic and sees… many things.

A man with an opened bloody leg is lying unconscious on the table and a woman in a doctor’s coat is standing above him with a nasty-looking weapon in hand. Not even noticing the newcomer, the doctor puts the weapon down and starts treating the Vor’s leg.

“Excuse me,” Zach clears his throat.

“Moment,” the doctor says and only quickly glances at him. But then she stops and looks properly at him. Her blue eyes examine him from head to toe. “Ez? No, it’s not you… Neither of the three is here…” she says more to herself, but then raises her voice, “Who are you and what do you want here?” The doctor in the now a bit bloody coat looks menacing.

“Name’s Zachariah Mancer and I have a message for you. Well, if you are Jodie Seeker, that is.”

“Yes, that’s me. What does a Mancer want with me? And a message from whom?”

“You maybe should sit down…”

“Kid, I’m a Vory doctor for Shadow knows how long — I’m made of tough material.”

“Ok, then. It’s from your sister.”

The doctor’s eyes go wide, and she leans back, almost sits on the table where the Vor is. “From Ellie?!” she says quietly, the back of her hand over her mouth.

“Yes, ey lives in Mutant Valley now, free.”

“ _Ey_? Never mind, give it to me,” she pulls down the gloves and reaches her hand for Zach to give her the letter. Seeker’s face is changing with every sentence, every word she reads. Then she looks at Zach, down and starts reading it again. After a few minutes she folds the letter and says, “Give me half an hour and we can head out.”


	2. Chapter 2

When I finally can, I don’t know what to say. Don’t know how to form all the thoughts racing in my head.

I’m alive

That’s the most important; that I am alive and now well, too. I found a new home in Mutant Valley. I’ve lived here for few years already…

I’m taking my Freedom name in a few days. We choose such name to become something more than slaves and things again. To take part of ourselves they stole from us back. And it’s a tradition to have someone who witnessed our change, who witnessed our true selves present during this.

I want that someone to be you. To meet my new me…

I am not the one who you remember, the one you knew but we are still sisters. I’ll understand if you don’t come. But if you don’t — just know that I miss you and I love you, always have.

Shadow guide you, Jodie.

Your loving sister


End file.
